


From a Different Kind of Madness

by qwertynerd97 (Daffidill23)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (Not Regulus though), Alternate Universe, Bulletpoint Story, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape Bashing, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-21 14:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14916699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daffidill23/pseuds/qwertynerd97
Summary: Regulus Black ends up being the one sent to spy on Trelawny's interview instead of Severus Snape.  This creates ripples in the multi-verse that lead to Regulus becoming Hogwarts' Potion Master and head of Slytherin House, instead of Snape.Basically, the pre-canon AU that leads to thisTumblr postandRegulus Black and the Way Things Changed: A Not!Fic





	1. January And February, 1981

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Regulus Black and the Way Things Changed: A Not!Fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14906663) by [imaginary_golux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux). 



> So I saw this [Tumblr post](http://professorsparklepants.tumblr.com/post/174263349860/chucktaylorupset-professorsparklepants), and I immediately had an idea of where I wanted the story to go. I sketched out a rough outline, but only really had the events, not the story itself. I especially did not have any real idea of what was going to happen during Harry's years at Hogwarts.
> 
> And then, one of my favorite authors, [imaginary_golux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux) wrote [Regulus Black and the Way Things Changed: A Not!Fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14906663), and I decided I might as well flesh out my backstory ideas and post it!
> 
> I'm going to post a chapter per day, with two months per chapter, and the final chapter devoted to any major events that happen in the 10 years between Voldemort's Defeat and Harry's first year. I may have fudged the timeline a little bit, but it's fine, because JK is bad at math and calenders ANYWAY.

  * January
    * Regulus Black gets sent by Voldemort to spy on Dumbledore instead of Snape, due to Snape catching dragon pox or some similar nonsense
    * Regulus has a much more meticulous personality than Snape, and so his spying plan is to lurk in the goat pen out back of Hogs Head, instead of just… sitting in the bar
    * Trelawny starts interviewing, and Regulus thinks that it’s just going to be a simple “Dumbledore did/didn’t hire her” report to the Dark Lord, no big deal
    * Trelawney starts prophesying, and Regulus is immediately aware of the importance of what’s going on, if not the specifics
    * He was raised a scion of the house of Black, ok, there is no way he did not get Prophecies 101 when he was like 7
    * As Regulus is listening at the window, one of the goats in the pen wanders up to him curiously
    * Regulus manages to hear “ _the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…”_ before the goat gets irritated by his presence and headbutts him through the window of the bar
    * He lands in a heap at Aberforth's feet, and misses the next chunk of the prophecy, but he does manage to catch another little bit of “ _either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…”_ as he is summarily tossed out of the bar and told in no uncertain terms that he is not to return
    * Regulus heads home and writes out two copies of the prophecy that he overheard, before delivering one copy to Voldemort during his report to the Dark Lord
    * Voldemort is very pleased with this valuable information, and Regulus keeps his own counsel on the fact that that is not the entire prophecy; a Black should never admit when he does not know something
  * February
    * Because of his retrieval of the prophecy, Regulus is quickly elevated to the “elite circle” of Voldemort’s followers
    * As such, he does not think much of it when Voldemort calls a meeting with him, Bellatrix, and Lucius Malfoy.
    * Voldemort claims to be entrusting them with a vital safeguard of his rule, but does not give them any specifics.
    * He gives Bellatrix a “precious token, to be stored in your vault” and Lucius an “old, sentimental diary” to hide in his manor.
    * Then he turns to Regulus and requests the use of his house elf.
    * Regulus agrees and instructs Kreacher to obey Voldemort and return when his task is completed.
    * He’s a little miffed that his Lord did not trust him with whatever object he needed to safeguard, so when Kreacher comes back and begins babbling about it, Regulus is more than willing to listen.
    * As Kreacher talks, though, a vague sense of unease washes over Regulus.  The way he describes the locket is ringing some far off danger sense in Regulus’ mind.
    * Regulus pulls out a quill to take notes on what Kreacher is saying, and his eyes land on the second copy of the prophecy.
    * Everything clicks into place; Regulus is intelligent and trained in the knowledge of the Dark Arts. Between the way Voldemort had talked about these safeguards, and the prophecy’s mention of “ _neither can live while the other survives_ ,” Regulus is pretty sure that Voldemort that Voldemort has made a Horcrux.
    * Regulus is absolutely disgusted.  A Horcrux is such evil, twisting magic, that not even a Black would consider making one.
    * The best thing to do, obviously, is to destroy the Horcrux and then kill Voldemort.
    * Regulus is just about to ask Kreacher to take him to the cave when the final realization hits him.
    * Bellatrix and Lucius were given safeguards as well, and, much as Regulus would like to think that they were decoys…
    * He’s certain that the Dark Lord was crazy enough to make not one, but multiple Horcrux pieces




	2. March and April, 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus decides that Dumbledore is much better suited to deal with Horcrux pieces than he is, and starts becoming disillusioned with the Death Eaters. Also, he picks up a hobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received an ask about expanding the story from bullet points into actual prose, but I'm not... actually good at writing prose. Poetry is much more my style. 
> 
> As such, I will most likely not be expanding this out. On the other hand, anyone who feels inspired by my bullet points can absolutely turn it into a full-on story! Let me know if you end up writing it; I'd love to read such a thing!

  * March
    * Regulus Black realizes that he is in over his head
    * One Horcrux is an abomination, three is utter madness, the likes of which he has never before contemplated
    * The more he thinks about it, the more certain he is that the Dark Lord made more than three.  If he was willing to trust THREE pieces of his soul to his followers, he likely has even more hidden away
    * After a moment of contemplation, Regulus knows that there is only one person that he can entrust with this information: Dumbledore
    * He may not be particularly fond of the man and his Light-leaning tendencies, but there is something to the fact that Voldemort has never even attempted to attack Hogwarts with Dumbledore as Headmaster
    * Regulus sets up a meeting with Dumbledore, under the pretense of applying for the Potion Professor's position.  He has always enjoyed Potions, and Slughorn has begun to make noise about retiring.
    * (Regulus makes sure that his brother is out of the country when the meeting might take place.  The _last_ thing he wants is that bumbling buffoon being called in as Order of the Phoenix backup)
    * Regulus lets Dumbledore get through all of the social niceties at the beginning of the interview, but when Dumbledore begins asking about the Potions Professorship, Regulus quickly cuts him off.
    * He lays out all of the details about his meeting with Voldemort, and then what Kreacher had told him, as well as the conclusion he had come too.
    * When he finishes, it is clear that Dumbledore has taken his statement seriously.  His face is somber, and Regulus takes a step back as he stands up
    * Dumbledore asks Regulus to show him where the cave is, but Regulus knows better than to get involved with something like that.
    * He calls Kreacher, and instructs him to help Dumbledore retrieve the locket, and then leaves Hogwarts
    * None of his actions, he tells himself, mean that he is a blood traitor.  He still believes that purebloods are superior, but there is no need to let a madman run roughshod all over the wizarding world
    * Still, despite his misgivings, he is branded a Death Eater by the inky Mark on his arm, so he continues to attend the Death Eater gathers and at least feign obeisance to Voldemort
  * April
    * Regulus is beginning to realize that the Death Eaters agenda is not all it was made out to be
    * Like a cult, once he has seen the first flaw in the system, he cannot help but see others
    * He keeps up appearances, though, and does the bare minimum needed so that he will not fall under suspicion.
    * In order to keep his new reluctance from being noticed, Regulus spends more time on his Potions hobby
    * He tells Voldemort that he is considering trying for a mastery in Potions, and Voldemort, thrilled by the idea of having not one, but TWO Potion Masters under his control, gives him more leeway
    * Regulus and Snape get into an informal one-upmanship contest over who can be better at potions.  
    * Snape has the benefit of passion, with years spent devoted to the idea of his Mastery, but Regulus has money on his side.
    * Regulus has no need to hold down a job for income, and so is able to devote all of his time to Potions, quickly catching up to Snape in expertise
    * Regulus thinks it is all a good-natured competition and treats it as such, ribbing Snape whenever they see each other, which is infrequently.
    * (Snape, on the other hand, only sees another Black, beating him and then Rubbing His Nose In It)
    * Overall, Regulus thinks that he can likely cruise along, and keep his head down ‘til the war ends, and come out of it all smelling like roses




	3. May and June, 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus really does not have the time to SLEEP, much less be a spy, but somehow he manages to juggle both alongside his progressing Potions Mastery and his new responsibilities as Head of House Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next are likely going to be a bit shorter; I looked at my notes and realized I had lumped May-August all together, so picking apart that timeline leaves them a little shorter than the other months.

  * May
    * Just when Regulus thinks he’s found a solid holding pattern that will allow him to survive this war, life decides to unravel at the seams.
    * Walburga and Orion Black both fall prey to old age and inbreeding, and die within a week from each other, leaving Regulus as the sole Black Heir.
    * Regulus has to drop everything and attend to setting up their lavish funerals.
    * (In wealthy, pureblood society, even deaths are an excuse to throw a truly ostentatious party)
    * And, on top of the funerals, Regulus is now Lord Black, head of the Black family, with all the duties that implies.
    * Regulus was deliberately running himself ragged before his parents died to keep Voldemort from becoming suspicious of him.
    * Now, he has so many balls in the air that he is often substituting Pepper-Up Potions for proper sleep.
    * Regulus hands off as many of the Lordship duties as he can, and delegates wherever possible.
    * He makes a few political mistakes, and gives Narcissa Black more power than he really should have, but finally manages to find a rhythm that allows him to balance Potions AND Lordship duties AND his waning involvement with the Death Eaters
    * Which of course is when Voldemort decides that sending followers to terrorize Muggle London is a _brilliant plan_
  * June
    * It’s not like Regulus _likes_ the Muggles, okay? It’s just that he does not have the time to deal with raiding and terrorizing them, and, really, he kind of thought Dumbledore would have taken out Voldemort by now.
    * Maybe, Regulus considers, Dumbledore and his Order just don’t have enough information about the Death Eaters?
    * So Regulus starts slipping Dumbledore information about planned raids and meetings.
    * He mostly just sends Kreacher to leave papers with details in Dumbledore’s office
    * Plausible deniability, after all, is one of the best traits a Slytherin can leverage to safeguard their own skin.
    * He’s not sure if Dumbledore is actually receiving these notes, but soon the number of raids interrupted by the convenient appearance of Order members makes Regulus sure that they are, at least, getting to _someone_
    * Of course, Voldemort figures out the pattern not too long after Regulus does.  The Dark Lord is furious at the idea that there might be a spy in his ranks, even if he does not know who it could be.




	4. July and August, 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus rides out the end of the summer in a wave of potion-making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, life has gotten a bit hectic. The next chapter is going to be a (relatively) long one though, so it should be well worth the wait.

  * July
    * With the discovery of a spy in his ranks, Voldemort becomes increasingly paranoid about... everything
    * This, Regulus has decided, is the absolute Worst Possible Timing
    * With his Potions Mastery examination right around the corner, he does not have time to be appeasing a vicious, paranoid madman
    * Regulus spends a good chunk of his time buried in his potions lab, trying desperately to put the finishing touches on his original potion and his presentation
    * Both he and Severus Snape are largely absent from the Death Eater meetings this month; they are racing, desperate to be the first to finish their Mastery.
    * This means that Regulus misses the induction of the newest member of the Death Eaters, an Order of the Phoenix member that Voldemort plans to leverage as a spy.
    * He gets the news from Bellatrix, but, unfortunately, all of the Death Eaters that were present were sworn to secrecy, so he is not able to include the spy’s identity in his report to Dumbledore
    * At the end of the month, Regulus goes up in front of the International Confederation of Potions Masters 
    * They carefully examine his potion and award him his potions Mastery
    * (He actually manages to beat Severus Snape to his mastery by a handful of weeks, solidifying Snape’s eternal hatred of all things Black)
  * August
    * August marks the wizarding world’s preparations for the newest school year.
    * Despite his growing distaste for the Death Eaters and Voldemort, Regulus makes sure to attend the annual initiation ceremony, where Voldemort Marks all of the proto-Death Eaters that have turned 17 in the past year.
    * Those who are still at Hogwarts are instructed to spy on the suspected Order members amongst the staff a list which, hilariously, includes Horace Slughorn
    * Voldemort is convinced that Slughorn’s agreement to remain the Potions professor for one last year is clear evidence that Slughorn has chosen ‘the wrong side’
    * Regulus is less convinced; he thinks that it is far more likely that a well-connected pureblood like Slughorn is looking out for his own interests, rather than any particular side.
    * Aside from all of the pre-semester shenanigans, Regulus no longer has the buffer of an upcoming Mastery review to protect him, and so is required to attend more and more Death Eater raids




	5. September and October, 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus watches Voldemort and the Death Eater go after two Ancient and Noble families and he is _Not Pleased_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix's attack on the Longbottoms is described in a little more detail than in canon, though never straying outside of the realm of canon-typical violence. Nevertheless, if this is going to upset you, feel free to skip September. (The Potter's death, on the other hand, is glossed over even more than in canon, so October should be just fine)  
> If there are any tags or warnings that I might have missed, feel free to shoot me a comment and I'll add them.

  * September
    * Due to the forced increase in his participation with Death Eater attacks, Regulus finds himself at more and more Death Eater meetings.
    * He is at one such meeting, early in November, when a minor level Ministry employee with Death Eater sympathies rushes in.
    * Once he has gone through the usual subservient motions, Voldemort commands him the tell the whole gathering his new.
    * This is how Regulus finds out that his mad cousin had decided to go after the Longbottom family.
    * She had apparently discovered that the Longbottoms were one of two Light-side families that Voldemort was keeping a close watch on, and so became determined to eliminate them to prove her “loyalty”
    * The Longbottoms had mostly been residing under a Fidelus ward, but had left the safety of their home to attend one of Lady Longbottoms’ infamous political parties
    * Bella and her cronies found out about the Longbottoms’ presence at the party, and had stormed, flinging spells.
    * Most of the partygoers had fled, and a few had Apparated to the Ministry to inform the Aurors.
    * While the Ministry was rounding up a team, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr had cornered their prey, and proceeded to cast the Cruciatus on Alice and Frank Longbottom as they protected their infant son.
    * By the time the Aurors arrived and subdued the four Death Eaters, Alice and Frank were nearly catatonic; the Healers at St. Mungos feel that it is unlikely that the two will ever recover.
    * Internally, Regulus is utterly devastated.  For such malice and disregard to be cast towards an Ancient and Noble family such as the Longbottoms clearly showed that Bellatrix was completely insane.
    * Outwardly, he remained stoic, and watched Voldemort for a cue on how to react.
    * The whole room seems to hold its breath as the Dark Lord stands up from his throne-like chair and turns his wand on the Ministry employee.
    * Regulus winces a little as Voldemort snarls out a “Crucio”, and then whirls on his followers.
    * The Dark Lord berates his follower, declaring that the Longbottom orphan and the Potter family are _his_ to destroy and that any Death Eaters who get in the way of that will be punished.
    * This is pretty much the breaking point for Regulus. Not only has Voldemort made _multiple Horcrux pieces_ , but now he’s threatening the last of not one, but _two_ Ancient and Noble families.
    * It is more evident than ever, Regulus thinks, that the Dark Lord is a madman out only for his own power.
    * He steps up his avoidance of Death Eater meetings even further, going to even fewer than the bare minimum, and leveraging his Headship of House Black and his Potions Mastery as excuses.
  * October
    * Because of his nearly non-existent participation in Voldemort’s army, Regulus is not at any of the Death Eater meetings in October
    * This means that he misses seeing the Potter’s Secret Keeper reveal the location of their Fidelus protected safe house.
    * Regulus has a pretty good idea of who the Secret Keeper is though; his brother Sirius had been thick as thieves with the Potter heir while they were in school.
    * It is a little odd that after all this time, Regulus and his brother had ended up swapping allegiances.
    * There is a little bit of bleak humor in that, that blood runs true enough that both of the Black heirs were spies.
    * Voldemort does not go to kill the Potters right away; instead, he waits until Samhain night when the flow of magic is at its height.
    * Voldemort goes alone to Godric’s Hollow that night, and Regulus prepares to mourn the death of another important family line.
    * Thus, Regulus has no idea what is occurring when he jolts out of bed in the middle of the night, his arm burning.
    * It is not the usual summoning pain from Dark Mark, but instead a more chaotic agony, as if his body is being ripped into a thousand pieces.
    * The pain vanishes as quickly as it came, and when Regulus rolls up his sleeve, he sees that the Dark Mark has faded to a nearly invisible scar.
    * Logically, he assumes that Dumbledore must have taken care of the Horcrux pieces and set up a trap at the Potter’s house to kill Voldemort.
    * Regulus breaths out a sigh of relief that the madman is finally, finally dead, and collapses back onto the bed.
    * The next morning though, Regulus is left with a killer headache, so he stays in and brews some new potions in the following few days.




	6. November and December, 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus gets arrested, and also a job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: In my original outline, all of the months had incredibly cheesy titles. December was, entertainingly, labeled "Deux Ex Dumbledore".

  * November
    * Regulus manages to recover from his terrible backlash hangover right around the time that Aurors come knocking on his door.
    * It turns out that Karkoff, a low-level pureblood with no money or social clout, had decided that the best way to escape Azkaban was to squeal on his fellow Death Eaters.
    * This means that the Aurors have an arrest warrant and a trained curse breaker with them, just in case Regulus decides to hide behind Grimmauld Place’s wards.
    * Regulus runs a handful of possibilities through his mind but quickly decides that his best bet is to quietly allow the Aurors to arrest him.  
    * Mostly, Regulus is pretty sure that the Ministry just wants a scapegoat.  With his money and titles, it shouldn’t be too hard to grease a few palms into letting him plead Imperious.
    * It will help his case to be seen as an upstanding, law-abiding citizen who can make appropriately understanding remarks about the “need for vigilance in these trying times”, so he allows the Aurors to escort him back to the Ministry and lock him up in one of their holding cells.
    * There, awaiting his trial, Regulus discovers that he has made a severe miscalculation.
    * It seems that while Regulus was busy hiding away from the fallout of Voldemort’s death, his absolute madman of an older brother was busy not only betraying the Potter’s Secret, but also blowing up a street full of Muggles, obliterating Peter Pettigrew, and then cackling hysterically when cornered by Aurors.
    * Pettigrew had been awarded a posthumous Order of Merlin for his bravery in confronting “Voldemort’s right-hand man”, as the Aurors put it, and Sirius has been carted off to Azkaban without so much as a by-your-leave.
    * And, to make matters worse, the last coherent thing the Wizengamot had heard from him was a muttered statement about a “family reunion on that Merlin-forsaken island”
    * Needless to say, Regulus is suddenly feeling much less confident about his ability to slip out of a prison sentence.
    * And, as the cherry on the top of this miserable month, Regulus gets moved to a solitary holding cell, because all of his cellmates tried to kill him.
    * It turns out that the other Death Eaters _also_ think that Regulus was working with his brother, except that _they_ think that it was a plot to deliberately kill Voldemort.
    * (Regulus is pretty sure that it was, in fact, just such a plot, but it’s not like he had anything to do with it… directly, at least)
  * December
    * The day of Regulus’ trial arrives, and Regulus is more than a little concerned about the likely verdict.
    * The way that both the Aurors and his fellow Death Eaters were acting, Regulus is almost certain that he is about to receive a one-way trip to Azkaban, regardless of how much money he might be able to provide under the table.
    * And then his salvation arrives, from the least expected corner.
    * As the Aurors are escorting him to the Wizengamot chamber, Dumbledore approaches them and asks for a moment alone to talk to Regulus.
    * The Aurors are confused but allow it; after all, Dumbledore is the hero of Grindelwald's War and a major force in Voldemort’s as well.
    * Dumbledore’s eyes hold his signature twinkle as he sweeps Regulus away from his escort, speaking in the same way that someone might comment on the weather.
    * Dumbledore mentions that Slughorn is retiring, for real this time, and that Hogwarts is soon to be short a Potions Master.
    * At this point, Regulus begins to see a glimmer of hope.  He grew up in the Black household, so he is more than aware of the subtle overture that Dumbledore is making.
    * Dumbledore offers to vouch for Regulus in his trial, claiming him as a spy, if Regulus will agree to sign on as Hogwarts’ Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House.
    * Seeing no other guaranteed options, Regulus grabs on to this opportunity with both hands.  With the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in his corner, his case is much more likely to be decided in his favor.
    * After Regulus agrees, Dumbledore waves the Aurors back over, and they escort Regulus into the Wizengamot chamber.
    * The trial goes overwhelmingly well, with only minimal implications of future bribery, and Regulus is free to head home.
    * Once back at Grimmauld place, Regulus immediately sets to work.  It’s only eight months until the start of term, and though Regulus loves Potions, he has absolutely no teaching experience whatsoever.




End file.
